Ok guys. Need some help on public land. I know it's not traditional hunting. And a lot of guys on here only hunt public land. What are some tricks and tips. Can't use trail cams and can't bait. So its pretty muh travel areas. Bedding and feeding. They don't ask normal. What can I do.
Do you have a way to get in from the back? A creek and a boat perhaps, get in there early and let other hunters push them to you. Find a few places where no one is hunting if possible... concentrate there. Find the travel corridors along field edges and thickets using natural funnels such as creeks, ditches etc... Most hunters are extremely lazy... out walk them and you just may find your lucky spot.
I hunting public land as well and the guys have been pretty helpful on here. Stick with it and like Muzzy Man said look for the creeks and funnels. I have an old creek bed I sit over with tons of tracks, right now its about the timing, trying to be there when they are using those tails. I totally share your frustration on this, just keep at it and hopefully we both will be posting soon about getting one down!
I just started hunting public 2 years ago in Southwest Va when I decided to go to college. This was totally different for me because I was from the low swampy flat lands of the southeast. I have plenty of land to hunt back home because a group formed by my dad and his high school buddies that rent several thousand acres for farming and hunting(I know I'm lucky). Well I couldn't stand the fact thinking that I was not going to hunt while attending college. It was difficult for me at first but you got to love the challenge. Start by dissecting the public land by using satellite images(google maps, google earth). Like previously stated in other replies, look for your natural pinches(travel corridors), thickets(bedding) and food sources. 9 times out of 10, public land is not going to have large agriculture fields(at least in the areas I've hunted) or some form of obvious food sources. Try to look for the more subtle foods that are available like natural browse (honeysuckle, grasses, clover, etc.). ACORNS!! White oaks are definitely the best to have but don't forget about the Red oaks; don't focus all your attention on just white oaks. White oaks drop acorns earlier and Red oaks tend to drop acorns later and deer will absolutely devourer both. This is year with all the rain the Oak trees have produce so much mast. Go where other hunters don't. Try to hunt the edges or the furthest boundaries of the property which have less pressure. A lot people will argue this point but I was brought up by old school hunters that strongly believe its still necessary to walk the land and see first hand(just don't educate the deer). These tactics have really helped me with my public land hunting and have tagged out on does and have had several sightings of nice bucks this season off public land. I hope this helps. P.S. The rut is closing in soon too, I would focus my time now on finding the pinches and catch those big boys cruising for their prom dates when the rut hits. Also stay in the WOODS. Hunt long hours (My dad's hunting group and I have had some midday sightings already between 10a.m.-2p.m.) You get off of it what you put in it. Sorry for the babbling. Rolo
Find buck bedding areas and set up in staging areas close by. Only hunt when the conditions are right.
this is so true most are lazy and a 1/4 mile is a long distance for them. usually if i go in 3/4mi i never see anyone.
I even leave my tree stands up in the back of P.L. sometimes. Of course they are locked and I build them myself so maybe its just that no one wants them. LOL
I hunt both public and private.. public I've found trickier with the deer being pressured/almost entirely nocturnal- whereas not far away at the private land I see more day activity. The public land I hunt really early (I get on stand around 6am with sunrise around 7am). It's a long cold hour but I think it lets me calm down, get ready, no noise for an hour presunrise etc. Also, I periodically cammo up/scent protect and go scout the public area (in fact did that today) just to keep a handle on active scrapes etc. With all the hunting activity what might be a great scrape/area one week could be abandoned by your next hunt- so if it's close enough then taking the hour to jump in (again- watch your scent- you want to go in/out without leaving a tract-- treat it like a hunt and spray down, where gloves so you don't get scent all over the place) to periodically check really pays off to keep up on where they area. Great point above to take the deer's lead and STAY AWAY from people! google map it, walk it, know it-- pick the nastiest scraggiest spot (assuming you're seeing some sign and it seems to be a reasonable pinch/funnel point) and hunt there- most hunters have herd mentality and hunt where other people do. Kind of awkward when people want to go hunting together- but I tell them it's too much concentrated human scent and try and get off by yourself. so- today I scouted, found a great new area (public land) with several close scrapes, hung a scent dripped about one, and I'll leave that area alone for a few weeks (it's really off the beaten path-- so hopefully no one sets up and screws up that area kicking the buck out-- doesn't take much!). hope that helps somewhat.
The most important thing about public land is to get to know it like the back of your hand! It took me many years to learn the ground I hunt, many unfilled tags also. I keep a journal and refer to it often, it's helped me determine a couple of my 6 treestand sites. Scouting is a must. Persistance,luck,and the ability to withstand the elements is a big plus. When I hike into a stand for an all day sit I pack plenty of snacks, water, and clothes, so I can stay on stand for many hours.
Don't use Rut tactics all the time! Many of the replies have valid points! It may sound crazy but I prefer public land over private. The main reason is the element of surprise and not educating deer as to where I'm hunting and not scenting up the area(traveling in and out to the same treestands over and over). I've been hunting nothing but public land this season and have yet to sit the same tree twice in over a month of hunting! Over half my sits have produced deer within bow range! I scout via the web, using aerial photo's of the property once the season is open. I concentrate my efforts on terrain transitions. Woods to swamp edges, brush to trees, even pines or cedar trees transitioning to hardwoods. I IGNORE THE PINCH POINTS, FUNNELS, MAJOR CREEK/WATER CROSSINGS AND INSIDE CORNERS AS THESE DRAW 90% OF OTHER HUNTERS. These are good areas during the rut however most other hunters will hunt these areas the entire season! Focus more so on walking into the wind along the transition lines with your portable stand on your back and bow in hand ready to hunt! When I find fresh or HOT sign I set up then and there and hunt it right away. This allows me to sit on fresh sign where deer are obviously moving and also offers the element of surprise having not hunted over this area before(no previous human scent in that location). The more remote the transition line, the better the potential. Public land requires one to hunt both the animal being pursued, as well as hunting around other hunters. As for learning the property for future years, wait til winter when the deer seasons have come and gone and then put your boots on! Get in the woods where you think you want to hunt and look for deer sign, locate bedding areas and previous rut sign, but most importantly, watch for human sign and avoid those areas. It's amazing that just by avoiding areas where other hunters go, how many deer you will see!
